In 1941 he moved to Rock Island, Illinois with his mother for a few years, mostly working outside of music, and then went back to Mississippi, where he made his living playing music and working as a projectionist in a movie theater in Ita Bena. It was there that he began to experiment with playing the harmonica amplified through the sound system of the film projector.
In 1949 Smith moved to Chicago to pursue his music, and began working with Otis Rush and the Myers Bothers. He began playing professionally in 1951. He had become close with Little Walter. George was recruited to join Muddy Waters’ band in 1954, making his presence between the short-lived Henry Strong and James Cotton, after Henry Strong – Walter’s replacement in the Muddy Waters band – was stabbed to death by a jealous girlfriend. Smith got the harmonica chair in the world’s greatest blues band. It didn’t last, though. Perhaps there were stylistic differences, or maybe Smith was not content to be a sideman-no really knows. But by 1954 Smith was steadily employed in the Orchid Room in Kansas City, where the swingy music was more to his taste than Muddy’s electrified Delta blues.
The following year he was noticed there by Joe Bihari of Modern Records and signed to the label. Smith then recorded some sides which are now classics, including “Blues in the Dark” and “Telephone Blues.”
He used octaves extensively to get the sound of a horn section, and was a master of amplified tone shadings. Along with this he also had a preference for playing just behind the beat, which gave his music the swinging sound which later earned him the title of the Father of West Coast Swing. Third position on chromatic and diatonic harmonica has been done before, but nothing like this. Little Walter, the unofficial king of blues harmonica, had played third position on chromatic and diatonic harmonica, but his techniques were different. George made full use of the harmonica’s tuning by his incorporation of the use of playing “octaves”, especially on the chromatic.
George took his blues influences and met them with his other harmonica influences (he often cited Larry Adler as his favorite) and ran with it until he developed his own approach to tone and phrasing. Besides his classic RPM sides “Blues In The Dark”, “Oopin’ Doopin’ Doopin’” and “Down in New Orleans”, other chromatic features of his include “Hawaiian Eye”, “Blue Fog” and “Soul Feet”. His mastery of the chromatic harmonica influenced every blues player that has picked up the instrument since, either directly or indirectly, arguably even more so than Little Walter’s chromatic technique.
In 1955 he toured with pianist Champion Jack Dupree and Little Willie John, and after some recording for Bihari, eventually settled in Los Angeles. He was to stay there for the rest of his life. Established in the city, he recorded again for the Modern label, this time with a horn section.
By then rock and roll was starting to erode sales of blues records, and Smith, now a man with a growing family, was dropped by Modern. He hustled as best he could, recording for any label that would take him and playing the local clubs. Smith also adopted Rice Miller’s old trick of identity theft by billing himself under a variety stage names to get bigger crowds at gigs, including Little Walter and Big Walter. It proved a shortsighted choice; establishing a reputation under his real name would now be difficult.
When James Cotton left Muddy Water’s band in 1966, Smith got his old gig back and moved to Chicago to play with Waters. As before, it didn’t last, and Smith went back to Los Angeles. But he stayed friends with Muddy, and when Little Walter died two years later, Muddy’s band backed Smith on his highly regarded Tribute to Little Walter album.
He eventually made the decision to leave Chicago, and spent much of his adult life on the West Coast of America. At about this time blues, Smith met the young Rod Piazza, and they launched the Southside Blues Band, which toured with Big Mama Thorton and also recorded the album “..Of the Blues.” He also appeared on her album Jail (1975).
In 1970 British producer Mike Vernon met the band, signed them to a European tour, and changed their name to Bacon Fat. They recorded a couple of albums for Vernon, but Smith still could not import his overseas success to Los Angeles and the group continued to struggle at home. The decade also saw a decline in his health as a heart condition worsened. On the brighter side, he began to teach future harp great William Clarke the chromatic harmonica, and two began gigging together. For the remainder of his life, George continued to perform with his band, as a sideman, or with one of his protégés, and made some great recordings even in the 70’s and 80’s.
Boogie’n With George, Smith’s final recordings, were made with Piazza in 1982, and he died in October of 1983. Partly by luck, and partly by his own doing, he was underappreciated for many years, but recent reissues of his work will hopefully gain him his rightful place in the blues harp Pantheon.His influence can still be heard in the playing of the top harp players on the contemporary scene, such as Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, Paul deLay and Mark Hummel.
Got My Mojo Working
George "Harmonica" Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm going down to Louisiana to get me a mojo hand
I'm gonna have all you women right here at my command
Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
I wanna love you so bad till I don't know what to do
I'm going down to Louisiana to get me a mojo hand
I'm gonna have all you women right here at my command
Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
I wanna love you so bad till I don't know what to do
I got a gypsy woman givin' me advice
I got a gypsy woman givin' me advice
I got some red hot tips I got to keep on ice
Got my mojo working
Got my mojo working
Got my mojo working
.....
But it - uh uh - just won't work on you
The lyrics of George "Harmonica" Smith's song "Got My Mojo Working" are about the singer's belief in the magical powers of a mojo hand, which they plan to obtain from Louisiana. The singer hopes that obtaining the mojo hand will enable them to have power and control over all the women they desire. However, despite having their "mojo working," it does not have the desired effect on the person they desire. The singer is left desiring this person so badly that they don't know what to do. The singer also mentions that they have a "gypsy woman" giving them advice, and they have some "red hot tips" they need to keep on ice.
The concept of a "mojo hand" is a common theme in blues music and refers to a magical charm or amulet that is believed to bring good luck or success. The use of a mojo hand in the song suggests that the singer believes in the magical powers of such objects to help them achieve their desires. The singer's desire for control over women is an example of the aggressive, macho attitude that is common in blues music. However, the tone of the song is playful and not meant to be taken seriously.
Overall, "Got My Mojo Working" is a fun and lively blues song that highlights the magical beliefs and desires of the singer. The use of a mojo hand and a gypsy woman adds to the mystical atmosphere of the song, creating a sense of intrigue and wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going down to Louisiana to get me a mojo hand
I am traveling to Louisiana to obtain a charm or amulet that is believed to bring good fortune
I'm gonna have all you women right here at my command
I will have the power to make all the women obey me
Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
Although the charm is effective, it does not seem to have an effect on you
I wanna love you so bad till I don't know what to do
I have strong feelings of romantic attraction towards you that I cannot control
I got a gypsy woman givin' me advice
A woman of the Romani people is giving me guidance or suggestions
I got some red hot tips I got to keep on ice
I have valuable information that I must keep secret or not act on yet
Got my mojo working
The charm is having the desired effect
But it - uh uh - just won't work on you
However, it is not working on you despite its effectiveness on others
Contributed by Declan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.